Martin Luther King Events Set Through Tuesday

There are a multitude of options for Galloway and Atlantic County residents to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this weekend, beginning with the county celebration on Friday, Jan. 18 and concluding with a number of events on Monday and Tuesday. The following is a list of the weekend’s events.

Martin Luther King Awards Presentation

Atlantic County will host the 26th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Birthday Celebration at which time County Executive Dennis Levinson will present an award in King’s honor to Perry Mays, a resident of Pleasantville and chairperson for Stop the Violence in Atlantic County, and former Director of Community Partnerships for Health Engagement for AtlantiCare, and past director of Atlantic County Weed and Seed that strives to help residents take back their communities by weeding out bad elements.

Martin Luther King Day Celebration at Galloway Middle School

The celebration will be held at the Galloway Township Middle School (100 South Reeds Road), Monday morning, Jan. 21, 9 a.m. It features musical selections from the Absegami High School Choir, led by Ms. Cheryl Breitzman, the St. Paul CME Church Choir, and Galloway teacher Brian Conover. Also featured will be presentations by the GTMS Drill Team, GTMS Student Council, and special recognitions of Ms. Carla Dow, and the Rev. and Mrs. Martin Bass.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey is hosting the ninth annual Day of Service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 21 at 9 a.m. Registration is at 8:45 a.m. Projects available for volunteers include:

• Tuckerton Seaport - Hurricane Sandy Clean-up
• Atlantic City Rescue Mission - Assist in kitchen activities and facility clean-up
• Seashore Gardens Living Center - Work with residents on arts & crafts and serve lunch
• Family Services Association (FSA) - Organize and work in thrift boutique
• Eastern Service Workers Association (ESWA) - Neighborhood Canvassing for workers rights and organizing literature in office
• African American Museum and MLK Historical Site - Set-up museum display and assist staff in MLK activities
• Career Opportunity Development Inc. (CODI) - Data entry, file archiving, facility organization, and equipment inventory 
• Books without Borders - Collecting and packaging books for Africa
• Circle K - Various Projects 
• EDIBLE/Water Watch - Campus Clean-up project
• Girl Scouts of America - Earning Merit Badges and developing leadership skills
• Samaritan Hospice - Writing valentine's day cards for patients
• Galloway Township/PDK Food Drive - Collecting canned goods for the Community Food Bank of NJ and old cell phones for Verizon Wireless' HopeLine
• March of Dimes - Assembling packets and forms for promotional materials
• The Shores @ Wesley Manor - making greeting cards and valentine's day cards for residents
• CERT - Cleaning and organizing Stockton CERT Trailer 
• Community Quest - Helping patients with clay arts and crafts
• Stockton Farm - reinforcing farm property against invasive animals
• Noyse Museum - Creating nature trails around the parking lot adjacent to the museum
• JAH Organic Farm/Tighe School - Sandy Clean-up, rebuilding community garden, bagging leaves
• Kinetic Poetic Dance Workshop - teaching empowerment and self-esteem through hip-hop dance
• Verizon Wireless HopeLine - collecting old cell phones, chargers, batteries for domestic violence victims on-campus

Sponsored by the American Conference on Diversity’s Atlantic County Chapter, this event is the first in a series of events to celebrate the organization’s 65th anniversary, which also coincides with the 50th anniversary of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

The buffet breakfast will be held January 22 at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey (Campus Center Event Room) from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. It will include a keynote presentation by Ali Reynolds, Director of Community Development Partnerships for the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority. She will set the stage for a moderated panel discussion with local student leaders focused on Dr. King’s messages and the social-injustice challenges facing the next generation.

This year’s confirmed middle school and high school students attend the following public and private schools: Absegami High School, Oakcrest High School, Atlantic City High School East Campus, Atlantic City High School, Hammonton High School, Egg Harbor Township High School, Holy Spirit High School, Mainland Regional High School, and Pleasantville High School.